With the nationwide lockdown disrupting economic activity, the currently in construction Live! Casino Pittsburgh casino is hoping to open before 2020 is out.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh Hoping to Open in 2020
Despite a disruption caused by the COVID-19 lockdown, the mini-casino Live! Casino Pittsburgh is hoping to open for business by the end of the year. The 100,000-square feet facility is still under development in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County located some 30 miles from Pittsburgh.
Yet, even the optimism of the casino doesn’t come at face value. Live! Casino Pittsburgh’s public relations manager Doug Haniford explained that the property was looking for an early launch and specifically in 2020, but the lockdown and spreading of the COVID-19 infections could upset this timeline. Here is what he said:
“Due to the many unknowns that the COVID pandemic can create, we have not yet announced an official grand opening date. However, we are targeting to be open before the end of the year.”
The investment the property is bringing with it $150 million in project value and 500 new permanent jobs with 960 people employed during construction. The planned casino on-site will host 750 slot machines, featuring a number of popular games, including Game of Thrones, Wheel of Fortune, Blazing 7s and others.
While live table games are currently suspended in most places around the United States, Pittsburgh will add 30 tables featuring popular games as blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat, although the property hasn’t mentioned the availability of poker.
A Quality Sportsbook and Lounge for Sports Fans
Live! Casino Pittsburgh has already teamed up with FanDuel to open a dedicated sportsbook. FanDuel has an established footprint across the country and provides one of the most accomplished betting solutions.
To complement the sports betting experience, Live! Casino Pittsburgh is adding a 22,000-square-foot sports restaurant by the name of Sports & Social Steel City. The venue will be used both for the purposes of watching sports as well as dining.
There are 445 seats and two levels for sports fans to feel at home, watching their favorite sports events from a 45-foot high LED video screen. The whole bar will be spruced up with other HD screens allowing fans to never miss a moment of the action.
In addition, Live! Casino Pittsburgh has planned a number of interactive games involving social games, bowling, a golf simulator, darts, ping pong and more to keep sports fans busy in the interim between events or just when there isn’t something they enjoy on TV.
The casino is also banking on the business segment, adding 7,000 square feet of space allocated for business meetings and conferences. The property is developed on the location of the now defunct Westmoreland Mall.
Anticipating the opening, the company named Joe Billhimer as executive vice president of both Live! Casino Pittsburgh as well as another property, Live! Casino Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, casino revenue in Pennsylvania has recovered in July with casinos posting pre-pandemic levels, but also seeing online gambling improve significantly. More interestingly, Live! Casino Pittsburgh has already launched its live platform.